Belmar waitress stiffed on tip, you folks spread blame around

We don't know if Jess Jones lives to serve. But a lot of you folks are pretty quick to say she shouldn't.

We saw a lot of responses — many of them harsh, some of them sympathetic — after the 20-year-old, working at D’Jais Bar & Grill in Belmar for the summer, got left with a note of "LOL" rather than a tip on a $112.03 bill.

It seems it took a family of eight about an hour to get its food, and the family didn't take too kindly to that. For her part, Jones has said the place was packed and the kitchen was severely backed up — as it always is on half-price Monday nights.

Hundreds of you took to our Facebook page to tell us Jones should look for other work. Some said she should learn to deal with being stiffed, or accept the blame herself.

But others said it's not her fault, and it's classless move to skimp on a tip. And more than a few of you blamed the restaurant or the restaurant industry for making tips necessary — noting wait staffs in New Jersey generally make just $2.50 an hour.

Among the comments we saw on Facebook and on Twitter:

Kim Jackson: Here's a tip get another job!!!

Jonathan Buddy Love Butler: That is so JUSTIFIED.. The waiter is part of the blame.. The waiter should (have) realized that the food was taking longer and provided GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE ... perhaps a free appetizer, drinks, something.. But in most situations the waiter DOES NONE OF THE ABOVE until someone speaks to the manager.

Mark Yarbrough: Best argument in the world for eliminating this "tip" nonsense and paying servers their worth. If they are hustling and the kitchen is at fault, they should still get their fair wage. Just charge me for the real cost of the meal plus a profit and move on. Sorry service? Don't patronize them; just like you don't with every other business.

Virginia Ann Erb Marquis: Most restaurants have a mandatory service charge for 8 people. 18%. what is wrong with this place?

Jerome Judge: Tip means, "to insure prompt service." If I waited for 1 hour for dinner, that is poor service and I would not have left a tip! Why are people having a problem with what happened?

Tim Villalobos: Don't blame the customers, blame the employers who make tips a necessary part of a person's income.

Sam Bliss: Anyone who stiffs a waitress out of a tip is a creep with absolutely no heart or character.

Kellie Fry: I understand bad service and a long wait, if that is indeed what occurred. However, writing LOL to someone who is doing you a service and taking care of your needs is a worse reflection of how to treat people than late food ever will be.

Patricia Phillips I waited tables many years too. Got stiffed plenty but also got $100 tips on a $5 hamburger plate. It all evens out in the end as my brother likes to remind me.

Jj Pekarovich: It's part of the job!!! Find a new job!!!

Donna Demmin Church: If they payed for their food and the waitress was payed her hourly wage, just who was 'stiffed'? I tip 99% of the time, however if I get lousy service, slow service, or if the waitress acts like she is doing me a great service in waiting on me..you can be darn sure I will not tip nor will I lose sleep over it.

Gale Miko: Most of the time,a tip is left for outstanding service but sometimes you wish ya didn't stay. If you need to make more money you should get a job with better hourly wages. If enough waitress do that maybe the food places would start paying a better rate to their employees!

Sylvia Morrison: One thing I learned from all my years as a waitress is you can't make the cook any faster. If her service was good otherwise then a tip should have been left. A waitress can't produce food if the chef doesn't.